


All Alone Now (Or Not)

by katikat



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 04:09:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13205646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katikat/pseuds/katikat
Summary: Mac’s still in Afghanistan when his grandfather dies. Jack’s POV. (Unbeta'd)





	All Alone Now (Or Not)

**Author's Note:**

> Possibly AU? Depends on the state of Schroedinger’s grandfather on the show ;)

When the barrack’s door opens, Jack looks up from the shoe he’s brushing and squints into the sudden flood of mid-afternoon brightness. The sun blinds him for a moment, stabbing him in the eyes, and he doesn’t recognize who just entered until the door slams shut again.

_MacGyver._

Returning to his task, Jack calls out, “Hey, man. I heard the CO called you in. What did he want?” He frowns down at that one stubborn piece of  _stuff_ , sticking to his heel, and rubs at it harder with the brush.

He expects  _some_ answer, a complaint about the higher uppers’ unreasonable demands or something, but all he gets is silence. Mac doesn’t even move further in, he just stands there, at the threshold, as if rooted to the spot.

Jack looks up and frowns. “Mac?” he asks uncertainly because even in the dim light of the long room he can see just how pale and wide-eyed the kid is. Jack drops his shoe and the brush to the floor and gets up. “Mac, talk to me!”

Slowly, MacGyver takes a step closer and then another only to stop again. Jack now sees that his eyes aren’t just wide, they’re red rimmed and impossibly blue. He looks shell-shocked.

“I got a call from home,” he finally says in a low, raspy voice. “My grandfather died. He’s  _dead_ , Jack.”

_Oh, hell_. Jack knows that Mac’s grandpa was the only family the kid had left. Well, except for that bastard of a father who walked out on him good ten years ago; Jack will never understand people who abandon their own flesh and blood, and especially someone like Mac, the kid has the biggest heart Jack’s ever known. And now it seems the old man’s gone, too.  _Damn_.

Jack walks up to him. “What happened?” he asks softly.

Mac rubs his nose with the back of his hand and blinks hard. “He had-he had a heart attack? I didn’t even know he was sick, Jack. How could I’ve not known he was sick? I should’ve known that. I should’ve–”

“Hey, hey,  _hey_ ,” Jack interrupts his friend’s breathless rambling and rests his hands on Mac’s shoulders; he can feel him shivering slightly, despite the stifling heat of the room. “If your grandfather didn’t tell you, I’m sure he had his reasons. Probably didn’t want to worry you, didn’t want you to think about him while you tinkered with things that could go boom. My pa was the same. Stubborn like a mule. It wasn’t your fault, alright?”

Mac stares at him mutely for a moment, then he whispers, “Alright.”

Jack nods. “Alright. Who’s taking care of the funeral?” he asks, thinking that mundane, practical things might give Mac something to focus on.

Frowning, Mac replies, “Uh… the Bozers? I think?”

“Your friend’s family?” Jack says. He’s heard tales about Wilt Bozer, Mac’s best friend since junior high and wannabe filmmaker.

Mac nods. “Yeah. Before I deployed, they agreed to look after my grandfather. He insisted there was no need but–” He falls silent and squeezes his eyes shut, swallowing hard.

_To hell with it,_ Jack thinks and pulls the kid into his arms, hugging him hard. If anyone’s ever needed a hug, it’s Angus MacGyver right now.

Jack doesn’t know what to expect, they’re friends, brothers in arms, but this is a completely new territory. And when Mac just stands there, frozen, Jack starts to fear that he might’ve overstepped a boundary. 

He’s about to let go when Mac slumps against him, he almost melts into Jack, and lifting his arms, he fists his hands into the back for Jack’s t-shirt, holding on tight.

And Jack simply holds him back. He doesn’t tell Mac that it’s okay, he doesn’t spout platitudes. Because he’s been there, when his pa died, and the last thing he wanted to hear back then was how everything was going to be alright. Back then, he wanted to punch anyone who told him that because, Christ, his  _father_ just died! And he still had his extended family to rely on. Mac doesn’t have anybody anymore.

Well, then the kid will have him, Jack decides in that moment. He might not be blood but family’s not about that - or at least not  _just_  about that.

When Mac finally pulls back and rubs his eyes with the heels of his palms, Jack asks, “What do you need?”

Dropping his hands, Mac looks around a little helplessly. “I need to pack? I’m on an official leave for the next few days. The funeral is the day after tomorrow. I-I… don’t know. What… I don’t–” He falls silent and his shoulders slump.

_Alright._

“Look, I’ll put in a request for a few days off myself and go with you,” Jack decides. “I’ll explain the situation to the CO.”

Mac looks at him, startled, and then he seems to gather himself. Taking a deep, fortifying breath, he straightens up and shakes his head. “No. It’s okay, really. I’ll manage. I’ll be fine. I just need a minute.”

“Hey,” Jack says softly. “I was set up for a leave next week anyway. My sister’s birthday? The big 4-0? I’ll just look into moving it up a few days. The rest of the unit’s out south anyway and with you gone, who knows what they would have me do here, latrine duty with my luck,” he tries to joke but Mac doesn’t even crack a smile. No wonder, really.

“Look,” Jack continues kindly. “I can’t promise they’ll actually  _grant_ my request - you know the army, they’ll always find a way to screw the little man over - but let me at least try.”

Mac doesn’t refuse again, which proves that he really needs and wants Jack there, but he still says, “Your sister–”

Jack cuts him off, “Will understand, I promise you that. Come on, man. Let me do this for you, okay? Nobody should have to go through this alone,” he adds quietly, gripping Mac’s shoulder. “Okay?”

Mac rubs his nose again and nods. “Okay,” he replies quietly.

“Okay, then,” Jack says, nodding. “Now go, pack your things and I’ll talk to the CO. I’ll be right back,” he promises and waits for Mac to actually move before leaving the barrack, heading for the main office.

In the end, Jack gets his permission to go with Mac. He has to trade every favor he’s garnered for it - and promise owing some big ones in return - but, well, there are things the kid doesn’t need to know…


End file.
